Shipping and storage container for casket interiors

ABSTRACT

A shipping and storage container for prefabricated and prepressed casket interiors adapted to be inserted in caskets without any further work on the interiors. The container has at least one openable end and a plurality of vertically arranged, slidable and accurately spaced panels. The casket interiors are removably attached to the sides of the panels so that by opening the end of the box and sliding a panel outwardly, a selected casket interior may be removed from the panel. The container incorporates specific means for slidably positioning and holding the panels. The two innermost panels are spaced far enough apart to permit casket interiors to be removably secured to adjacent surfaces of said panels.

nited States Patent Lewis SHIPPING AND STORAGE CONTAINER FOR CASKET INTERIORS Inventor: Jerome A. Lewis, Irondale, Ala. Assignee: Lewis Industries, Inc., lrondale, Ala.

Filed: Feb. 28, 1972 Appl, No: 229,904

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary ExaminerLeonard Summer AlI0rney-Hugh P. Carter et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A shipping and storage container for prefabricated and prepressed casket interiors adapted to be inserted in caskets without any further work on the interiors. The container has at least one openable end and a plurality of vertically arranged, slidable and accurately spaced panels. The casket interiors are removably attached to the sides of the panels so that by opening the end of the box and sliding a panel outwardly, a selected casket interior may be removed from the panel. The container incorporates specific means for slidably positioning and holding the panels. The two innermost panels are spaced far enough apart to permit casket interiors to be removably secured to adjacent surfaces of said panels.-

PATENIEB DH; 18 I975 SHEET 1 BF 2 PATENTEHUEC 1 8 ms SHEET 2 [IF 2 SHIPPING AND STORAGE CONTAINER FOR CASKET INTERIORS My invention relates to a shipping and storage container for delicate, fabricated, prepressed items such as casket interiors.

In the art to which my invention relates it is desirable for manycasket manufacturers to purchase from other sources the complete, finished interiors which the manufacturer installs in caskets which he manufactures or finishes. As can be appreciated, these items are rather large, are quite delicate in the sense that once sewn, pressed and shaped they must be handled with considerable care. If in handling and shipping they are ruffled, folded, or otherwise physcially misshapened, they are unsuitable for the intended final use. Furthermore, various styles and colors of these interiors are required and there is a need for means readily suitable for shipping and storing them so that they may be individually withdrawn from the storage place for use as required.

In view of the foregoing an object of my invention is to provide a shipping and storage container for casket interiors which comprises essentially a box of kraft paper board or the like which has at least one openable end. Inside the container I provide means for supporting in vertical fashion a plurality of individually slidable panels which may also be sheets of relatively heavy kraft board or the like. The panels are held spaced from each other and are slidable through the open end of the box so that casket interiors removably attached to the surfaces of the panels are assembled individually. Starting with a panel adjacent a side wall of the container, a casket interior is placed on the innermost side of successive panels until finally, at the center of the container, the casket interiors are placed on adjacent sides of such two intermediate panels. In this instance I provide means for spacing the said two intermediate panels farther apart than the ones adjacent them on either side, thus to accommodate the two, face to face, casket interiors while still permitting them to be removed by sliding out their respective panels.

A shipping and storage container illustrating features of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

FIG. I is a plan view with certain parts broken away and in section and showing the container closed;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view partly broken away and in section;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. ll;

FIG. 4 is a fragmental perspective view of one lower corner of my improved container, with the parts partly broken away and in section and with the end of the container open, ready for withdrawing a selected one of the panels carrying an interior; and,

FIG. 5 is a fragmental plan view of one of the sheets of material having the guide means for slidably positioning and holding the edges of the panels.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention it will be seen that my improved shipping and storage container comprises essentially a box or container which may be made of kraft board. The container embodies side walls 11, bottom wall 12 and the top wall 13. Also, the box may have end walls which are made of downwardly foldable panels 14, up foldable panels 16, divided generally along the line 17, and inner panels 18 and 18a which may be continuations of the side walls Hand 12 and which fold over to close the entire end of the container. It will be seen that either end of the container may be opened completely by folding panel 14 upwardly, panel 16 downwardly, and panels 18 and 18a outwardly.

Inside the box I provide a plurality of vertically disposed individual panels ]19 on the surfaces of which may be removably secured the items to be transported and stored, such for instance as casket linings or interiors indicated by the numeral 21. As understood, these delicate fabricated items, generally made of cloth, lace, and combinations of the same, after fabrication must be suitably pressed and arranged to hold the desired shape. After finishing, the interiors are removably secured to the surfaces of panels 19 by means of fasteners such as small, headed plastic fasteners indicated at 22 in FIG. 3 or other conventional fasteners, such as headed steel pins, a plurality of the same being needed. As a specific example, the fastener may be a conventional bar-like attachment which is attached by apparatus disclosed in the Arnold R. Bone US. Pat. No. 3,103,666 granted on Sept. 17, 1963.

Between the bottom wall 12 and upper wall 13 of the container and the respective upper and lower edges of the panels 119 I interpose a sheet of material which is shown separate from the box in FIG. 5 and indicated by the numeral 23. Thus, the uppermost sheet 23 may be folded upon itself as indicated at 24, adjacent the longitudinal center of the sheet to provide an upstanding rib. Slits 26 are made in this rib slidably to receive the upper edges of the panels 19. The rib 24 may be formed simply by bending the sheet 23 upon itself as indicated and inserting a staple or like fastener 27.

At each end the sheet 23 is provided with box-like sections 28. These sections are made by folding the sheet 23 upon itself as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Slits 29 are provided in the box-like sections 23, in alignment with the slits 26, thus to receive the upper edge of the panels 19, permitting them to be withdrawn by simply sliding them through the open end of the box.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 an identical sheet 23, formed with the central transverse rib 24 and the boxlike sections 28 is provided to lie alongside the bottom wall 12 of the box.

From the foregoing it will be seen that with the box constructed and arranged as shown the individual panels 19 may have the casket interiors 21 removably secured to their surfaces, and that these panels carrying the casket interiors may be readily withdrawn, individually, as desired.

It will be noted that adjacent the transverse center of the box the two centralmost sets of slits 29a, 29b, and 26a and 26b are spaced wider apart than are the other corresponding slits. The purpose of this is to permit the two centralmost panels 19 to have the casket interiors carried thereby on adjacent surfaces. In other words, starting with the panels adjacent the sides of the box it will be seen that the items to be stored are on the inner surfaces of the panels. This continues until the center of the box is reached whereupon it is desired, in order to have equal spacing, to locate the=two centralmost panels substantially twice as far apart as are the others, so that the casket interiors may be placed on adjacent surfaces and yet allow room for them to be withdrawn.

In view of the foregoing it will be seen. that with my improved container interiors may be shipped and stored without danger of impairing the appearance and vertically by means of the removable fasteners 22 which, incidentally, may be used more frequently throughout the interior to attach it to its respective panel than shown in FIG. 3, these items are maintained in proper, original condition. When the casket manufacturer receives the interiors he is able to store them without having to make arrangements for hanging them, spreading them out, or otherwise. Furthermore, when various colors, designs, shapes or the like are shipped in a common carton they are individually withdrawable for use from the same.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a shipping and storage container for casket interiors, formed of fabric,

a. a shipping carton of paper board having upper and lower walls and at least one openable end,

b. a plurality of vertically disposed, spaced apart panels on one side of each of which is removably secured a casket interior,

c. sets of upper and lower guides carried by inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the carton with each guide comprising a sheet of paper board of a size corresponding generally to the inner surface of the top and bottom walls of the carton, and

d. the front and rear ends of each said sheet being folded to provide transversely disposed box-like structures the top walls and front and rear walls of which are slotted to receive with a sliding fit the upper and lower edges of the panels whereby the casket interiors may be individually removed from the carton by sliding the panels through the open end thereof.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which two adjacent ones of said panels are spaced far enough from each other to permit casket interiors carried thereby to be mounted on adjacent surfaces of said two panels.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said two panels are spaced apart approximately twice as far as the spacing between said two panels and adjacent panels, and in which said increased space between said two panels is located adjacent the transverse center of the carton.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said sheets are folded upon themselves intermediate the front and rear edges to provide outstanding ribs, said ribs being slotted to receive the upper and lower edges of the panels, whereby the panels are guided and held in spaced relation to each other as the same are withdrawn from the carton. 

1. In a shipping and storage container for casket interiors, formed of fabric, a. a shipping carton of paper board having upper and lower walls and at least one openable end, b. a plurality of vertically disposed, spaced apart panels on one side of each of which is removably secured a casket interior, c. sets of upper and lower guides carried by inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the carton with each guide comprising a sheet of paper board of a size corresponding generally to the inner surface of the top and bottom walls of the carton, and d. the front and rear ends of each said sheet being folded to provide transversely disposed box-like structures the top walls and front and rear walls of which are slotted to receive with a sliding fit the upper and lower edges of the panels whereby the casket interiors may be individually removed from the carton by sliding the panels through the open end thereof.
 2. The structure of claim 1 in which two adjacent ones of said panels are spaced far enough from each other to permit casket interiors carried thereby to be mounted on adjacent surfaces of said two panels.
 3. The structure of claim 1 in which said two panels are spaced apart approximately twice as far as the spacing between said two panels and adjacent panels, and in which said increased space between said two panels is located adjacent the transverse center of the carton.
 4. The structure of claim 1 in which said sheets are folded upon themselves intermediate the front and rear edges to provide outstanding ribs, said ribs being slotted to receive the upper and lower edges of the panels, whereby the panels are guided and held in spaced relation to each other as the same are withdrawn from the carton. 